Sunday

 

One advantage of clearing out the closets is that we found our Christmas tree. Decorating done.

Today's project was to remove the shoe molding and baseboards in the two back bedrooms and closets in preparation for the construction workers putting in the 5 1/4 inch tall flat baseboards like we have in the rest of the house. We were not responsible for demolition, but we thought we could speed things up if we did this relatively simple demo. Besides, we wanted to see exactly what we would be working with.

Shoe molding was first.

Then baseboards.

By the time I got to the second room, I had figured out how to do it quickly.

We knew that the shoe molding was covering up a gap between the baseboard and the laminate flooring.

The gap at its widest is 1 inch. That's a big gap to fill with molding.

Our baseboard is 1/2 inch. Our designer wants to use a rectangular shoe molding which would keep a similar look and cover the gap. We're not sure that will look good. Our aim is to keep the look clean and simple. We think that extra 1/2 inch of shoe molding will look cluttered compared to the rest of the house. 

This is the clean look in the rest of the house.

We did not want to extend the tile into these two rooms to keep the budget from getting out of control. And also, for logistical reasons, we had to have a place to live while the workers were tiling the rest of the house. But now that we're about finished with the current project (and under budget) and about to begin the third project, we're discussing whether or not to include tiling the two bedrooms and closets while we're tiling the back bathroom. We would have to order more tile, but that shouldn't be a problem because it's still available. When we began this project, our designer said she could see it either way: it would be nice to have the entire house in the same tile and it would definitely add resale value, but those rooms are separate and would be fine in laminate. The only transitions are at the doorways. We will need to make a decision before the workers install the baseboards.

Our stack of old baseboards (and our old toilet!). We've got lots of decisions to make soon.

The second project of the day was to remove the hallway linen closet door and shelves. 

It will be easier to paint and perhaps I'll get inspired to replace the wire shelves with wood shelves. I'm going to resist breaking out the paint again until I have baseboards to paint and when the construction workers decide how to fix the blooper baseboards in this closet. I did use my new stud finder to see if I could use studs for hanging shelves. I found one in the back but not the sides. I could use drywall screws and maybe even the existing ones. I might go to Lowe's or Ace and scope out their wood selection. Unless our primary closet arrives soon, I might have some time on my hands over the holidays to take on this small project. If it goes well, there are two more the exact same size. Our designer mentioned having them do them with the current project, but we were a little overwhelmed then. We might ask her about cost as we develop the next project.

Zucchini, black beans, corn, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, lime, garlic, monterey jack cheese with a side of raspberries, and chips. 

We usually make this into a quesadilla, but it's good like this too. Quick, easy, nutritious. 

We went running this morning. It was a beautiful sunny and warm day, a high of 79 degrees when we took our last walk at Stirling park.